Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip: "The Disaster Show" Review

The show's not dead yet!

While Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip may be a lost cause (as it has been cancelled by NBC), that didn't stop this last episode of the program, "The Disaster Show," from being exciting, funny and everything the show should've been since Studio 60's impressive pilot episode. If you have been keeping up with our reviews here at IGN TV, you probably have noticed a slight decline in our review scores as well as our opinion of this potentially incredible program - due to some poor character decisions and uneven storylines. Well, with the program's end only two weeks away, we are now skeptical as to whether or not we really want to see it go.

"The Disaster Show" had a simple premise to which it chaotically reveled in - the prop masters went on strike (including the cue card techs), and the show was being run completely by the control room and the actors. In a case of the inmates running the asylum, we watched as guest host (and guest star) Allison Janney and the Studio 60 actors/crew worked their best to remember their lines and work around not having the appropriate props and effects necessary to make a coherent show. Dubbed a disaster show, the whole crew tried to make ends meet while also balancing in a bomb threat and relationship troubles with Harriet and Simon. Flying by at a frantic pace, this show contained all the elements necessary for a humorous inside look at live television.

Timothy Busfield as Cal

One of the main causes for this episode feeling as fresh as it did, was the fact that three of the cast's main characters (Matthew Perry, Amanda Peet and Bradley Whitford) were absent from the show. While that would be enough to have many audience members lose total interest in the program, we personally saw it as a way to momentarily get away from the show's two major storylines (Matt and Harriet & Jordan and Danny's relationships) - which have been bogging down the show. Although we are sure we will see these relationship issues come back up again in the next couple episodes, we enjoyed the brief departure from this melodrama; showing us the dramatic parody of late night television, which seemed to be the original aim of the show.

Another reason for this episode working so well was the use of the guest star, Allison Janney. Being that Studio 60 is an Aaron Sorkin creation, it was nice to see one of the main cast members from his previous show The West Wing make such a fun appearance. And that was what it was: a fun appearance. Playing the disoriented and completely confused guest host, Janney spent the whole episode botching lines, acting without appropriate props and bickering with (former West Wing cast mate) Timothy Busfield. While her appearance did nothing to further any storyline within Studio 60, it did however show us the hilarious and fragile business that is live television (as Tom Jeter put it: "This is live TV. This isn't your little White House show").

So, even though we did have a couple of minor problems with the episode - Simon's women troubles took up too much time, and Harriet's nagging about Matt made it seem as though Matthew Perry was on the show (even if he never physically made an appearance) - we still enjoyed this impressive hour of television. With more Sorkin-perfected comedic walk-and-talks than normally seen on Studio 60 and a great look at what can happen when things go bad on live TV, we had an episode of television that represented the content which we originally wanted to see from this show - and maybe even the type of content which could have saved the show months ago.